Area women are learning how to release their inner naughtiness so that the bedroom doesn't become a "bored-room." This is one of the reasons that Ris-K Lingerie on Main Street, Stroudsburg, opened a fitness studio just for women interested in being sexy, getting fit and having fun.

MELANIE VANDERVEER

Area women are learning how to release their inner naughtiness so that the bedroom doesn't become a "bored-room."

This is one of the reasons that Ris-K Lingerie on Main Street, Stroudsburg, opened a fitness studio just for women interested in being sexy, getting fit and having fun.

"We learn from our customers," owner Dolores Benford said. "We have wanted to do this for a while, and now we finally are."

Too often, women sign up for gym memberships and never use the services because it gets old. "These classes are meant to keep the fun, or else you won't want to do it," Benford said.

Sensual Fitness is downstairs from the lingerie shop and has an enticing lineup of classes. Women can choose from sex-selling classes such as pole dancing, lap dancing, strippercise or stripper 101 classes. There are also tamer classes, such as kickboxing, zumba and Hoopnotica.

"Since we started to advertise the classes, we have gotten a great response. The number-one class people have asked about so far is the pole-dancing class," Benford said.

The studio is more than 2,000 square feet and is designed to look and feel like a gentlemen's club. The bigger workout room is for zumba, Hoopnotica and kickboxing classes. The smaller, darker room — they call it the "naughty girl's room" — is equipped with nine poles and is used for pole-dancing and lap-dancing classes. "We have the capacity to add more poles, so we probably will soon," Benford said.

The classes are for more than just learning how to move sexily. "I want these classes to be like a girls' night out. You have the benefit of being with your friends and working out at the same time," Benford said.

Kellie Sanchez of East Stroudsburg is the strippercise and pole-dancing instructor. "I've been teaching classes like these for seven years now. I love motivating women and seeing them do something good for themselves," Sanchez said.

Hoopnotica is a type of hula-hoop class that has been sweeping the West Coast. "This is a newer class on the East Coast," Benford said. "Anyone can do this. This is one of only a few classes you can take throughout your entire pregnancy."

Instructor Stephanie Benford, Dolores Benford's daughter, is certified in Hoopnotica — one of only a few certified instructors in the tri-state area. "This workout is a whole-body total workout. It is also meditative and reduces stress levels," the younger Benford said. "It is like a yoga/belly-dance class."

Four locals showed up for Ris-K's first class, which was Hoopnotica. "My friend saw this at a demonstration and showed it to me. I also saw the class in a window somewhere else, so we thought it would be fun to try it out," East Stroudsburg resident Lisa Kern said.

The first strippercise class had 10 women participating in the booty-bouncing and hip-thrusting. Sisters Danielle and Kelly Taylor of Cresco came to see what the class was all about. "It looked like a lot of fun and a different way to get in shape," Danielle said.

Kelly added, "I never exercise, so this might get me to more often."

The subtle moves of the class don't feel like a workout, but they are. Hair twirling, sexy walking and sensual movements produce some sweat as well as body confidence.

Zumba is another hot class that is just catching on with people on the East Coast. "You can burn 800 to 1,000 calories in one hour doing this. This is a high-energy Latin aerobics class," Dolores Benford said. The studio is allowing men to take this class since many women are asking if their partners can join.

The elder Benford is looking to add more classes to the lineup in the near future. "We will be having a 'Bondage Betty' class and eventually a sex-ed type of class," she said. "We have plenty of women that come into the store with no clue about sex and the products we sell, so this could be good for them."

The studio is available for bachelorette parties that can include either lap-dancing or pole-dancing lessons, or an adult toy party.

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